The Place. Accommodations in Milan have been the most modern by far. This studio apartment is bright and airy compared to the older, compact Bed & Breakfast rooms available in Rome, Naples, and Florence. I might finally get a good night’s sleep. Other bedrooms have been filled with irritants—almost as troubling as the secondhand smoke encountered in these cities—that have made it difficult for me the past week. In Rome this past weekend, I visited the emergency room to get immediate treatment for my breathing condition. I’ve never been asthmatic, so I’ve never had to use or carry inhalers. A healthy dose of albuterol and oxygen via plastic mask and tubes along with an intramuscular cortisol shot relaxed my lungs a bit. The pharmacy carried Actifed, similar to American Sudafed (discovered via Google search along with the tip that over-the-counter meds are kept behind the counter), helped me deal with my symptoms: consistent coughing and congestion. Italy, thanks for my bronchitis— a souvenir I’ve never gotten from any other place I’ve traveled to.